Luo Han Guo (Siraitia grosvenorii), more commonly known as monk fruit, is a long living vine that belongs to the gourd family, the same plant group as cucumbers and squash. It is native to southern China, where it has been used for centuries in traditional foods and remedies. In recent years, monk fruit has drawn modern scientific attention because it contains high levels of … [Read more...]

Bamboo is known as the fastest growing plant on the planet, with some species capable of growing up to 90cm in a single day. While China and India are the largest producers and bamboo shoots are already common in many Asian cuisines, the findings suggest bamboo could become an important food option for diets around the world. Nutritional Profile of Bamboo Shoots Bamboo … [Read more...]

A new study led by Washington State University researchers in Guatemala found that drinking water sources widely believed to be clean and safe often contain harmful bacteria. The research focused on Guatemala's Western Highlands, where scientists compared what people think about their drinking water with what laboratory testing actually revealed. Many residents viewed … [Read more...]

Previous studies have indicated that eating large amounts of ultra-processed foods is linked with a higher likelihood of developing cardiovascular diseases. Other research has found that diets centered on plant-based foods can lower this risk when those foods offer balanced nutrition and are consumed in appropriate proportions. To explore how nutrition relates to … [Read more...]

Scientists have identified an unexpected link between the way the body processes sugar and the development of alcohol addiction. This connection also points to a promising therapeutic target for treating alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD). A study published in Nature Metabolism by researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz reports … [Read more...]

In what could mark a major step forward for diabetes care, scientists have found extraordinary health benefits in a little-known desert plant. The fruit of Nitraria roborowskii Kom, long used in traditional medicine, showed strong potential to fight insulin resistance and restore healthy metabolism in diabetic mice. The plant extract not only helped stabilize blood sugar but … [Read more...]

Nearly one in five packaged foods and drinks in the United States contain synthetic food dyes, according to new research that analyzed 39,763 grocery store products. The study was recently published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Synthetic dyes are often added to make foods look more appealing, especially products aimed at children, but a growing … [Read more...]

More than half of the calories people consume in the United States come from ultra-processed foods (UPFs), which include items such as fast food and packaged snacks that tend to contain large amounts of sodium, added sugars and unhealthy fats. While studies in adults have firmly connected these foods to type 2 diabetes and other chronic conditions, far less is known about how … [Read more...]

Smoothies are a quick and delicious way to load up on fruits and vegetables, but some ingredient combinations may not be as healthy as they seem. Scientists from the University of California, Davis, discovered that the types of fruits blended together can change how much nutrition your body actually absorbs. Their research, published in the Royal Society of Chemistry's … [Read more...]

Researchers at the Institute of Food Technology (ITAL) and the University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in São Paulo, Brazil, working with colleagues from the Fraunhofer IVV Institute in Germany, have developed a new type of food made from sunflower flour that can serve as a substitute for meat. The process begins by extracting oil from sunflower seeds. To make the resulting flour … [Read more...]